Rain disrupts normal life in state

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 2

Normal life was affected across Uttarakhand today as incessant rains lashed the state for over 24 hours while the higher reaches of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh and Uttarkashi districts received snowfall, bringing down the mercury.

The state Meteorological Centre ruled out any relief from rainfall and forecasted light to moderate rain for the next 24 hours in the state.

The higher reaches in Chakrata, Auli, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Hemkunt Sahib, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi, Bageshwar, Almora, Pithoragarh received fresh snowfall, while Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Muni-ki-Reti, Roorkee, Vikasnagar etc. received sporadic rainfall since Sunday night. Speaking to The Tribune, Anand Sharma, Director, State Meteorological Centre, said it had been raining since Sunday due to western disturbance. He said higher reaches located 3,500 meters and above received 35-40 cm of snowfall.

He said there would be no major change in the weather conditions, but intensity of rain might begin from Tuesday onwards.

Residents have been asked to take necessary precautions and make arrangements to cope with the problem of water logging in the low lying areas.

The data compiled by the department highlighted that Dehradun received 71.6 mm rainfall, while Barkot 62.5 mm, Uttarkashi 41.5 mm, Nainital 59.5 mm, and Devprayag 72.2 mm rainfall since Sunday.

The minimum temperature is expected to dip further in the next 24 hours, if rain continues to lash Uttarakhand. Snowfall in the higher reaches have also affected reconstruction work at Kedarnath, where personnel of the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering are busy removing the debris brought in the wake of the 2013 flashfloods. With CBSE Class 10 board examinations beginning today, schoolchildren faced difficulty in reaching their exam centres.

Mudslides were reported in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Champawat districts at different stretches, which resulted in traffic jam. Meanwhile, residents faced the brunt of erratic power cuts at different colonies in Dehradun and other cities of the state.